AMD unveiled its next-generation graphics cards, the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, at CES 2025, yet intriguingly, these RDNA 4 graphics cards were absent from AMD's keynote. Despite this, vendors displayed their new cards on the show floor, albeit with redacted specifications.
David McAfee, VP & GM of Radeon Graphics and Ryzen CPUs, took to Twitter/X to announce that both the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are slated for release in March 2025. "Radeon 9000 series hardware and software are looking great and we are planning to have a wide assortment of cards available globally," McAfee stated. "Can’t wait for gamers to get their hands on the cards when they go on sale in March!"
While the launch month is now confirmed, AMD has yet to disclose specific details such as specifications or pricing. It's speculated that the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT will compete directly with Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, set to launch in February, in terms of both price and performance.
Despite the lack of official specifications, reports suggest that stock of the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT has already reached retailers and is in the hands of reviewers and critics. Notably, eTeknix confirmed receiving review samples of these upcoming graphics cards.
The situation has raised eyebrows and fueled speculation that AMD may have delayed the official launch to better counter Nvidia’s RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti, allowing for a direct comparison with Team Green's new GPUs. There's also speculation that pricing pressure from Nvidia might have influenced AMD's decision to delay the official release of the RX 9070 lineup.
The scarcity of details around the new AMD graphics cards has led to a confusing launch message for the RX 9070 lineup. A report from June 2024 highlights Nvidia's dominance, holding 88% of the discrete GPU market, while AMD stands at just 12%.
With no other company challenging Nvidia at the mid-range or high-end of the consumer graphics card market, AMD must strategically navigate its launch to make significant inroads into Nvidia's market share.
